Work feeding apparatus



Jan. 14, 1941. v. D. BARKER ET AL WORK FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 30, 1939 INVENTOPS V. 0. BA RKEI? F: G. SPENCER PCH W A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 14, 1941 worm FEEDING APPARATUS Virgil D. Barker and Frank 0. Spencer, Westfleld,

N. J., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 30, 1939, Serial No. 311,764

19 Claims.

This invention relates to work feeding apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for feeding, measuring and positioning material or stock in strip, rod or other form to automatic material working machines.

The speed, efliciency and accuracy of material working machines depend greatly upon the accuracy and reliability of means employed to feed material to such machines between the material working pontions of the cycles of operation thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus for automatically and intermittently or cyclically feeding material with accurate and dependable predetermination and for firmly holding the material at and for definite selectively A variable intervals of time.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises an apparatus designed for particular adaptation to material working machines and including two units operated in timed relation with the operating cycle of associated machines to alternatively feed material to the machine and hold the material during the material working portion of the machine cycle.

Other objects and advantages will be apparen from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of the apparatus shown associated with a punch press;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the material feeding units;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the valves and the associated cams, and

' this reason a detailed description of one will apply to both. Such detailed structure is shown in Fig. 3. In this structure a body 26 has itslower surface grooved at 21 for interengagement with Fig. 5 is a development of the drum cani' controlling the feeding units.

In the drawing theapparatus is shown in com: bination with a material working machine, which in the present instance is a punch press ID of any approved general construction and arrangement having a working bed It in which a die I2 is mounted in the customary fashion. A rain or reciprocatory head. H, in which a punch M to coact with the die I2 ismounted, is operatively connected in the conventional manner to a crank shaft IS, the latter being driven in any approved manner by means not shown.

The apparatus for feeding material 16 to the bracket I! a rail 2i is mounted or formed integral the rail 2|, while the upper surface has a channel 30 formed therein for the passage of'the material l6 therethrough. A diaphragm 3| of suitable elastically flexible material such as thin sheet metal; which may also be suitably corrugated if desired, is held in place across the top of .the channel 30 by being firmly clamped between the body 26 and a cover '32 held together by screws 33. The cover 32 has a recess 34 in its under surface entirely closed below by the diaphragm 3| and laterally by, the downwardly extending side walls of the cover. The roof of the recess formed in the cover is also complete except for a passageway 35. The passageway 35 in the unit 23 communicates with a flexible fluid line 38 associated with a fluid line 39 connected to a fluid valve 40, whilethe passageway 35 in the unit 24 communicates with a flexible fluid line 4| which communicates with an associated fluid line 42 connected to a fluid valve 43. The valve is mounted upon the bracket l8, while the valve 43 is mounted upon the bracket l9, yet they are identical in construction and a description and an illustration of one will apply equally well to the other.

The purpose of the valves 40 and 43 is to control the fluid under pressure to the diaphragms 3| of the units 23 and 24 to cause gripping of the material ii at "selected intervals during the operating cycle of the press. Iri Fig. 4 the valve 49 is shown in section and consists mainly of a plunger 48 normally held upwardly by an expansion spring 49 to position a roller 50, carried thereby, in constant engagement with its respective cam 5|. The lower end of the spring 49 rests on a stationary annular portion of the valve positioned immediately above the plunger 48 as shown in Fig. 4. The plunger is conditioned to close communication between the fluid line 39 and a fluid supply line 53 when in the upper or closed position and to open communication between the line 39 and an exhaust port 54 when the plunger 48 is moved downwardly against the force of the spring 49 by its cam 5i. When the latter condition exists the fluid under pressure passes from a suitable source (not shown) to the recess 84 of the unit 22 to cause gripping oi the material, as will be more fully described hereinafter. The valve 43, which is of like structure to that of the valve 40, yet mounted in reverse order, is controlled by a cam 58 through its cam roller 51. The cams 5| and 56 have cam segments 59 and 80 mounted for adjustment about the axis of their respective cams to effectively vary the lengths of the cam lobes, or high and low portions of the cams, to vary the intervals of time in which the valves 40 and 43 are actuated and the length of time the fluid under pressure is directed to the units 23 and 24. The cams 5I and 58, as well as their segments 59 and '60, are mounted upon a cam shaft GI, the cams being fixed to the shaft while their segments are mounted for rotation thereon. The cam segments 59 and 80 are held in desired adjusted positions with respect to their cams by screws 83 extending through arcuate elongate apertures in the segments and into threaded apertures in the cams.

The bracket I8 has spaced vertical portions with bearings 85 in the upper ends thereof to support the cam shaft 8|. A gear 86 is mounted upon and fixed to the cam shaft and interengages a gear 81 mounted upon and fixed to the crank shaft I5 of the press. The gears 61 and 88 are of atwo to one ratio, requiring two revolutions of the crank shaft, thus two complete operating cycles of the press to cause one cycle of operation of the cam shaft.

A drum or grooved cam I0 is also mounted upon the cam shaft BI and has a cam groove II in its periphery of the contour shown in Fig. 5 to cause operation of a mechanism to impart movement to the material feeding units 23 and 24. This mechanism includes a resilient arm 12 carrying a roller 13 at its upper end positioned to ride in the cam groove II. In the present embodiment the arm I2 is secured to a pivot block I4 which is mounted on a pivot 15 carried by the bracket I8. The pivot block I4 also has fixed thereto a downwardly projecting rod 18. If desired the arm 12, the pivot block i4 and the rod 18 may be a one piece structure suitably formed to accomplish the purpose of the three parts shown. The arm 12 is sufliciently rigid to cause actuation of the various parts linking it with the units 23 and 24 but is bendable should the occasion arise to limit the movements of the units by end stops I1 and a central stop 18. The stops TI and I8 may be of any desired structure as illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 to be fixed byset screws or the like in any desired adjusted positions on the rail 2L. If desired the central stop may be of any desired thickness, or two stops may be used, one for each unit.

A sleeve 19 is slidably mounted in the rod I8 and is pivotably connected to one end of a reciprocating rod 80, as indicated at 8|. The reciprocating rod is slidably disposed in a bearing 82 and has its other end pivotally connected at 83 to a sleeve 84, which is similar in structure to the sleeve 19. The sleeve 84 is slidably mounted on a rod 85 fixed to a rocking lever 86, the latter being pivotally connected, at 81, adjacent its center to a transversely extending portion 89 of the bracket II. If desired the lever 86 may be provided with an integral portion similar in contour to the rod 85 to form the operative connection between the sleeve 84 and the lever. The upper end of the lever 85 is operatively connected to the material feeding unit 23 through a connecting rod 90, while the lower end of the lever is operatively connected to the material feeding unit 24 through a connecting rod 8i.

Upon returning attention to the bearing 82 for the reciprocating rod 80, it will be noted that the bearing is provided with an integral vertical projection 95 adjustably disposed in a guideway 96 formed in the bracket I8. The purpose of this mounting is to bring about vertical adjustment of the reciprocating rod to vary the distance of travel of the feeding units 23 and 24, as will be described more completely hereinafter. An adjusting screw, 98, having a hand wheel 99 fixed to the lower end thereof, is mounted for rotation in a bearing portion I00 integral with the bracket I8. The adjusting screw 98 extends through a threaded aperture in the bearing 82 to cause vertical adjustment of the bearing upon rotation of the screw. Locking members IOI in the form of hand screws are disposed in threaded apertures in the bracket I 8 above and below the bearing 82 and conditioned to engage the projection 95 at their inner ends to lock the projection and thus the bearing in any desired adjusted position. To assist in accurately adjusting the bearing 82 to vary the distances in which the units 23 and 24 will be moved a pointer I03 is formed integral with or mounted on the bearing to associate with graduations I04 on the bracket I8. I

In operation the apparatus is driven by the press or in timed relation therewith so that between the material working portions of the operating cycle of the press the apparatus functions to advance the material I8 a desired distance relative to the die I2. In the present embodiment the apparatus is driven by the press, that is, the mechanism of the apparatus is directly connected to the crank shaft I5 of the press so that rotation of the crank shaft one revolution will cause rotation of the cam shaft 8| one half revolution. During one half cycle of operation of the cam shaft 6| the mechanism connecting the units 23 and 24 to the cam 10 is actuated to move the units toward each other and during the other half cycle of operation of the cam shaft this mechanism causes movement of the units away from each other. This movement is brought about through the roller I3 following the cam groove II, causing the arm 12 and its associated parts 14 and I6 to move counterclockwise about the pivot 15. This movement causes thereciprocating rod 80 to be pulled to the right (Fig. 2),

resulting in clockwise movement of the rod and lever 86 about the pivot 81, causing the connecting rod to move the unit 23 toward the press, and, if the material is gripped thereby, to

, advance the material to the die while at the same time the connecting rod 9| moves the unit 24 vary the amount of movement of the material fed to the press. The adjustment may be accomplished by first loosening the hand screws IOI, freeing the adjusting screw 98 for movement of the bearing and reciprocating rod upwardly or downwardly, depending upon whether the operator wishes to decrease or increase the distance of movement of the units. For example, movement of the bearing 82 upwardly toward the pivot II will shorten the movementoi the reciprocating rod 80 and thus shorten the movement imparted to the lever 88, while movement of the bearing downwardly will lengthen the movement imparted to the reciprocating rod and the lever, thus decreasing the distances of movement of the units 23 and 24 in the first instance and increasing the movement of the units in the last instance.

The valves 40 and 43 are operated in timed relation with the unit moving mechanism, that is, the mechanism for moving the units 23 and 24, so as to cause the units to grip the material when they have been moved to the end of their return stroke away from the die and continue to grip the material during their feed stroke toward the die and until the press has passed through the material working portion of its cycle of operation, at which time the valves are released to render their respective units ineffective to grip the material. For example, let it be assumed that the units 23 and 24 are approaching the end of their movement away from each other, the unit 24 gripping the material and feeding it to the die while the unit 23 is free of the material and is returning to its starting position. At this position in the operation of the apparatus the roller 5'! is riding upon the high portion of its cam 58, holding the valve 43 in 'open position to allow a fluid under pressure to pass through the lines 42 and 4| and through the passageway 35 of the unit 24, resulting in the forcing of the diaphragm 3i of this unit into intimate engagement with the material to grip the material sufficiently to move it with the unit. At the same time the high portion of the cam 5| is approaching the roller of the valve 40. However, the cams 50 and 56 with their variable cam segments 59 and 60 are so arranged that the valve for the unit moving away from the press will not be operated to cause the said unit to grip the material until the units complete their movements in the directions they are travelling. In the present instance the unit 23 is moving away from the press and its respective valve 40 will be actuated by the cam 5| the moment the unit 24 reaches theend of its movement toward the press which will be at the same time the unit 23 completes its return movement. The cams are also arranged so that during the rest periods of the units, which periods coincide with the matrlal working portions of the operating cycles of the press, both units are holding the material against-movement. Just prior to the end of the rest period of the units 23 and 24 the high portion of the cam 56 passes beyond the roller 51 of the valve 43, allowing the spring 49 of the valve to move it into closed position. Prior to this time, however, the valve 40 has been opened, through the actuation of its cam 5 allowing fluid under pressure to pass through the lines 39 and 33 and through the passageway 35 of the unit 23, which pressure will cause the dia phragm 3| to move into intimate engagement with the material l6 and thus hold the material for movement with the unittoward the press.

During one cycle of operation of the press. beginning the cycle at a desired point shortly after the material working portion of the cycle, the unit 23 which has gripped the material during the working portion of the cycle is moved toward the press a predetermined distance to feed the material to the die, while at the same time the unit 24 is moved away from the press free of the material until it reaches its farthest position from the press, at which time its valve 43 will be operated to cause it to grip the material, both units gripping the material at this time, Just prior to, through and until after the completion of the material working portion of the machine cycle. During the next cycle of operation of the press the unit 24, which has already been caused to grip the material, is moved toward the press. feeding the material thereto, while at the same time the unit 23 is moved away from the press until the two units reach the ends of their travel just prior to the material working portion of the cycle, at which time the unit 23 will be caused to grip the material through the actuation of its valve, the unit 24 continuing to grip the material through the working portion of the cycle. The feeding units, therefore, take their turns on alternate cycles of the press to feed the material thereto, one unitfeeding the material during one cycle while the other unit is returning to feed the material during the next cycle of operation and both units gripping the material during the 'working portion of the cycle, thus eliminating the necessity of stationary gripping members and reducing the work of each of the feeding units to one complete cycle during two operations of the press rather than during each operation thereof.

The apparatus is constructedto cause movement of the units 23 and 24 definite like distances in reverse or opposite directions to intermittently feed the material measured distances relative to the press between the material working portions of each operating cycle thereof. Two flat or rest portions of the cam groove II, as illustrated in Fig. 5, associate with the cam roller 13 during alternate material working portions of the operating cycle of the press, thus holding the material feeding means linked between the cam 10 and the units 23 and 24 against movement during this portion of the operating cycle. To assure against possible movement of the material during the working portion of the press cycle the stops 1! and 18 may be positioned to accomplish this result. Furthermore, with the various means of adjusting the apparatus and assuring definite actuation thereof and further in view of the fact that two'feeding means, that is, two units 23 and 24, are employed, each working at half the speed it would be necessary for one to work in order to accomplish the same result, it is possible for the press to operate at maximum speed and still maintain accuracy in the feeding of the material to the press.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is illustrative only and may be widely modified and departed from in many ways with- .out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for movement, means to cause movement of the units predetermined distances, means affecting the said means to vary the distances of movements of the units,.and fluid controlled means to cause the units to grip material at predetermined intervals during their movement to cause the units to alternately move the material.

2. In a material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for movement, means to cause movement of the units, means affecting the said means to vary the distancees of m0vement of the units, and fluid controlled means to cause the units to grip material at definite intervals during their movement to cause the units to alternately advance the material in the same direction.

3. Ina material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for reciprocal movement, means to cause reciprocal movement of the units in opposite directions, and fluid controlled means to cause the units to grip material at alternate time intervals to advance the material in one direction.

4. In a material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for reciprocal movement, means to cause reciprocal movement of the units in opposite directions, and fluid controlled means to cause the units to grip material at variable alternate time intervals to advance the material in one direction.

5. In a material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for reciprocal movement, means to cause reciprocal movement of the units in opposite directions, and fluid. controlled means to cause the units to grip material at alternate time intervals to advance the material definite distances intermittenly.

6. In a material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for movement, means to cause movement of the units, and fluid pressure controlling means to cause the units to grip material at preferred intervals during their movement to cause theunits to alternately move the material.

7. In a material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for movement, means to cause movement of the units, and fluid pressure controlling means to cause the units to grip material at preferred intervals during their movement to cause the units to alternately advance the material in the same direction.

v8. In a material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for reciprocal movement, means to cause reciprocal movement of the units in opposite directions, and fluid pressure controlling means to' cause the units to grip material at preferred intervals during their movement to cause the units to alternately move the material.

9. In a material feedingapparatus, material gripping units mounted for reciprocal movement,

means to cause reciprocal movement of the units in opposite directions, and fluid pressure control ling means to cause the units to grip material at preferred intervals during their movement to cause the units to alternately advance the material inthe same direction.

10. In a material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for movement, operable means including a normally stationary controlling element tocause movement of the units predetermined distances, means operable during operation of said last named means to adjust the controlling element to affect the said means to vary the distances of movement of the units, and means to cause the units to grip material at predetermined intervals during their movement to cause the units to alternately move the material.

11. In a material feeding apparatus, material gripping units mounted for movement, operable means including a normally stationary controlling element to cause movement of the units predetermined distances, means to adjust the controlling element to affect the said means to vary the distances of movement of the units, and means to render the varying means ineffective.

12. A material feeding apparatus for feeding material to a material working machine operable in definite working cycles to work on material during a portion of each cycle, the apparatus comprising material gripping units mounted for movement, means operated in timed relation with the machine to cause movement of the units, fluid controlled means operable in timed relation with the machine to cause the units to grip material at predetermined intervals during their movement to cause the units to alternately feed the material to the machine between working portions of each cycle thereof, and stop members to limit the movements of the units.

13. A material feeding apparatus for feeding material to a material working machine operable in definite working cycles to work on material during a portion of each cycle, the apparatus comprising material gripping units mounted for movement, means operated in timed relation with the machine to cause movement of the units, and fluid pressure controlling means operable in timed relation with the machine to cause the units to grip material at predetermined intervals during their movement to cause the units to alternately feed the material to the machine between working portions of each cycle thereof.

14. In a material feedin apparatus for feeding material to-a material working machine operable in definite working cycles to work on material during a portion of each cycle, the apparatus comprising material gripping units mounted for. movement, means to cause the units to move toward the machine, rest during the working portion of the cycle of themachine and move away from the machine, and means to cause each unit to grip the material while moving toward the machine and while at rest to alternately feed the material to the machine and hold the material against movement during the working porthe machine, and means to cause each unit to' grip the material while moving toward the machine and while at rest to alternately feed the material to the machine and hold the material against movement during the working portion of the cycle of operation.

16. In a material feeding apparatus for feeding material to a material working machine operable in definite working cycles to work on material during a portion of each cycle, the apparatus comprising material gripping units mounted for movement, stop members limiting the distances of movement of the units, resilient means to impart movements to the units limited by the stop members, and fluid controlled means to cause the units to grip material at predetermined intervals to alternately feed the material to the machine.

17. In a material feeding apparatus for feeding material to a material working machine operable in definite working cycles to work on material during a portion of each cycle, the apparatus comprising material gripping units mounted for movement, an element movable a definite distance between fixed points by the machine, a member to receive motion from the element to cause movement of the units in opposite directions to cause each unit to move toward the machine, rest and move away from the machine, a link operatively connecting the element to the member, and means to cause movement of the link relative to the element and member to cause variation in the movement of the element received by the member.

' 18. In a material feeding apparatus for feeding material to a material working machine operable in definite working cycles to workonmaterial during a portion of each cycle, the apparatus comprising material gripping units mounted for movement, an element movable a definite distance between fixed points by the machine, a member to receive motion from the element to cause movement of the units in opposite directions to cause each unit to move toward the machine, rest and move away from the machine, a link operatively connecting the element to the member, and means to cause movement of the link relative to the element and member to cause variation in the movement of the element received by the member to vary the distances the units are moved.

19. In a material feeding apparatus for feeding material to a material working machine operable in definite working cycles to work on material during a portion of each cycle, the apparatus comprising material gripping units mounted for movement, an element movable a definite distance between fixed points by the machine, a member to receive motion from the element to cause movement of the units in opposite directions to cause each unit to move toward the machine, rest and move away from the machine, a link operatively connecting the element to the member, means to cause movement of the link relative to the element and member to cause variation in the movement of the element received by the member to vary the distances the units are moved, and means to indicate the necessary movement of the link to cause movement of the units definite distances.

VIRGH. D. BARKER. FRANK C. SPENCER. 

